Newport councillor suspended after threatening GP's staff

Joan Watkins said staff at Isca medical practice were "rude and unhelpful"

A councillor has been suspended for three months for being "demanding and threatening" with staff at a GP's surgery.

Newport councillor Joan Watkins was found to have misused her position when dealing with Isca Medical centre.

Public Services Ombudsman Wales also recommended that Ms Watkins be removed as a representative for Aneurin Bevan health board.

Ms Watkins apologised and said she "may have been too passionate".

An investigation was conducted by the ombudsman after it received a complaint from the practice in August 2020, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Conservative Ms Watkins, who represents Caerleon, had called the practice on behalf of an elderly constituent after they contacted her with a concern about an appointment.

The constituent was given an appointment for nine days' time, in-keeping with the NHS's recommendations, but Ms Watkins wanted the constituent's appointment brought forward because of their vulnerability.

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In the council's standards committee hearing, members found that Ms Watkins was attempting to pressurise the practice into diverging from its regular standard procedure and asking it to breach data laws.

The practice described Ms Watkins as demanding and threatening during the phone calls, on one occasion threatening to contact the chief executive of the health board to complain.

Ms Watkins said: "It was never my intention to cause offence, merely to help if at all possible, and if my actions were unacceptable I apologise unreservedly."

Investigating officer for the ombudsman, Leigh McAndrew, said Ms Watkins' actions were not a "one-off" because she made two phone calls and two complaints, despite the constituent not asking for the complaints to be done on their behalf.

The committee concluded that Ms Watkins made the complaints because of her personal grievances towards the practice.

She admitted there was "history" between her and the practice - referring to a personal issue she had with the practice in relation to her own health - but said she made the complaint because she felt let down by the practice.

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